Did I make the Boss To Strong?

[DrBloodbathMC]

First of all if you are in my Christmas Campaign LOOK AWAY NOW!!


Now that that's settled I'm running a Christmas One-shot where the party is hired by Krampus to kill Santa (Yes I have evil friends), so I set out to design Santa to be among the toughest fights I could muster, my question is did I go overboard? All the math is right, I double and triple checked it. Flavor-wise everything more or less fits the Santa we know and love save that he's a brawler and he's jacked. He's a Dervish with 4 arms (the other 2 are hidden in his coat to make it look like he's fat, I rationalized this as it would allow him to make toys better) and the party is comprised of 4 level 20 characters, 2 of which are spell casters.

myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=644682

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Thealtruistorc]

The issue with boss fights is that one creature isn't really a threat to a high-level party, as they can outmaneuver it and go at him four times as often as he can. If you want to make a Santa boss fight, you are going to need some support on his end.

Elves are the obvious choice. Have them going around throwing presents or manning siege engines, in general making the party's fight a lot more difficult. Santa will be dancing among them and hacking people up while the party members are being heckled by elves and maybe some advanced paragon aerial reindeer of legend (Rudolph's nose shoots fireballs). Layer the entire battlefield with traps and toys to make the fight harder, and when the party is disoriented, that's when Kris Kringle komes to kruelly kut those konniving krocs in kombat (sorry, got carried away at the last part).

[glitterbaby]

Where are the obligatory ranks in Craft (Toys) and Profession (Toymaker)?

[PraxisVetli]

The issue with boss fights is that one creature isn't really a threat to a high-level party, as they can outmaneuver it and go at him four times as often as he can. If you want to make a Santa boss fight, you are going to need some support on his end.

Elves are the obvious choice. Have them going around throwing presents or manning siege engines, in general making the party's fight a lot more difficult. Santa will be dancing among them and hacking people up while the party members are being heckled by elves and maybe some advanced paragon aerial reindeer of legend (Rudolph's nose shoots fireballs). Layer the entire battlefield with traps and toys to make the fight harder, and when the party is disoriented, that's when Kris Kringle komes to kruelly kut those konniving krocs in kombat (sorry, got carried away at the last part).

This is so perfect.
Elves with ballistas.
Spectacular.

[MisterKaws]

You don't put 5 divine ranks into something, it's gonna be OP, even if you made it into a dervish even though warblades completely CAP dervishes, with quicksilver motion, time stands still, and aptitude kukris with lightning mace style.

Now, seriously, you should make it a team fight to do a better challenge. Tone Santa down a little, drop some elves, and optimize the hell out of Rudolph.

... Oh, just noticed, there's no reindeer stats in D&D.

Forget these last paragraphs, take a look at this beauty (https://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/Santa.pdf).

... Just read it, it's a 3.0 thing, but I'd guess it works with some minor adjustments.

[AMFV]

The issue with boss fights is that one creature isn't really a threat to a high-level party, as they can outmaneuver it and go at him four times as often as he can. If you want to make a Santa boss fight, you are going to need some support on his end.

Not necessarily. Giacamo for example recommends just letting big bosses go twice in a round (of course this may need balancing). Boss fights also can have phases, where more monsters come, or the boss retreats. This is fairly video gamey but make for really thematic fights... Which leads to your second paragraph.



Elves are the obvious choice. Have them going around throwing presents or manning siege engines, in general making the party's fight a lot more difficult. Santa will be dancing among them and hacking people up while the party members are being heckled by elves and maybe some advanced paragon aerial reindeer of legend (Rudolph's nose shoots fireballs). Layer the entire battlefield with traps and toys to make the fight harder, and when the party is disoriented, that's when Kris Kringle komes to kruelly kut those konniving krocs in kombat (sorry, got carried away at the last part).

I really love this. I would switch it so that basically it's in phases, first Kris for a little bit, maybe to feel them out Then the Elves attack en masse while he holds back. Then he gets in the Sleigh and attacks aerially. Finally once they disable the sleigh, he fights them on the ground.

[DrBloodbathMC]

I have seen the druid ranger rogue santa before but I would prefer to do a melee build just due to familiarity. I do like the multi round boss battle with elves jumping in around the edge (I'm going to reflavor them as gnomes as they seem to fit the crafter theme better) and along with that I'll make santa a little easier, I do want to keep at least one divine rank though to keep the speed bonus and immortality though.

[SirNMN]

First of all if you are in my Christmas Campaign LOOK AWAY NOW!!


Now that that's settled I'm running a Christmas One-shot where the party is hired by Krampus to kill Santa (Yes I have evil friends), so I set out to design Santa to be among the toughest fights I could muster, my question is did I go overboard? All the math is right, I double and triple checked it. Flavor-wise everything more or less fits the Santa we know and love save that he's a brawler and he's jacked. He's a Dervish with 4 arms (the other 2 are hidden in his coat to make it look like he's fat, I rationalized this as it would allow him to make toys better) and the party is comprised of 4 level 20 characters, 2 of which are spell casters.

myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=644682

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

what are his starting stats

also may I use this I want to have Santa drop by my party and I give it a 25% chance that will try to mug him so if they do he will beat them sleep and give them all coal

[DrMotives]

Elves are a natural choice, but you can't overlook the flying reindeer. There's 9 of them, if they all pull the sleigh with override & trample it's a very nasty amount of damage to anyone who fails their reflex save. And Blitzen's name means "lightning" so you can go nuts with elemental themes on them too.

[SirNMN]

how much would you say the party optimizes ?

and I hate to say this but you missed a few things
1 he get Nat armor equal to diving rank
2 he get diving rank as a increase to deflection
3 what are his favored enemies?
4 where are the rings give Santa his bling
5 his attack have special properties
6 which Aura effect did you choose
7 where is his animal animal companion
8 what is the point of him having gift of faith he is immune to all of them (might replace with Sanctify Martial Strike, Nimbus of Light, Holy Radiance or Exalted Companion, )
9 he is has the saint template that mean he get and extra 1d6 holy
10 also you might want to recheck he HP I am getting 377
11 what are his prepared ranger spells
12 give him a bag of holding put in things (the Gifts and Coal stuff he can use )

Mirror of Opposition (ultimate cheese)
Efreeti Bottle (back up and if thing you want to tilt things just say it rolled againt santa)
Chaos Diamond (protection)
Brazier of Commanding Fire Elementals, horn of Valhalla (gives him back up)
Eyes of Charming (slow them down )
Horn of Blasting, Greater (gives santa range)
Cube of Force (great way to by time)
Instant Fortress (no reason I just really like these)
Scarab of Protection (protects him from energy drain)
Ioun Stones (which ever)
Iron Bands of Binding (a non lethal means of dealing with the party seems like something santa would have )
Figurines of Wondrous Power (fit the theam )

I am afraid I am making him stronger not weaker with what I am pointing out
no real reason for this but if you wanted to make him have ranks in toymaker or craft toy put him in scout first for some extra skill points
one last think I would change would would be to give him slippers of battle dancing they change damage from str to cha

[ngilop]

I have to agree with the earlier post about addint in more combantants for the santa fight.

Only santa's elves are not 'elves' as we know now in fantasy, they were more akin to Pixies

Id toss in 3-6 like Effective Character level 14-15 Pixies. give them a wide variety of focus.

have one be a dedicated healer with the feat that lets you heal at range, have one be all about that sneak attack and such.


Then you have the toys..

queue the animated objects (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm) I mean nothing says beat down like having a bunch of stuffed animal come at you..


wait im wrong Awakened (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/awaken.htm) Paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/paragonCreature.htm)reindeer (forstburn pg 164) advanced to 6 HD that gives these guys a SR of ~41 ish the best part is Wait for it..


wait for it...



OK NOW~!!

santa lets his animated toys and a few elves (read Pixies) get in the fight first then he says "Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen" YESS!!! so epic I just punched knee!


then after the 8 reinder are dead santa finally enters the fray.. along with Rudolph who is the same as above. but took a few level in marshal